Dear Pruesaysit,

I’m 29 and single.  I would like to settle down soon with a partner, but there’s only one problem.  My job!  You see I work in the video games industry as a writer.  My job is to play through games and review them for the website I write for.  I’ve discovered that most people have an issue with it and don’t see it as real work and almost think my job is a joke, particularly women.  Being a writer, I’m articulate and think I make a good first impression with people.  Yet the moment women ask what I do for a living and how I spend my time (as a lot of my free time is spent playing games for work too) I’m viewed as immature and juvenile.  Despite being independent, I think this almost comes across as me being unwilling to grow up.

When meeting women, I’ve tried just saying “I’m a writer,” but when I inevitably go into more detail about what I do for a living (or explain why my house is full of video games and consoles) they start treating me differently and things get awkward shortly after.  How can I prove that the industry I work in isn’t just for kids.  It’s a professional job and I work hard at what I do, and love it…  Sometimes I feel like I’m almost battling a misconception society has about the industry I work in!  This can make me a bit defensive and when I try to justify myself, I feel like I perhaps come across as self-righteous and arrogant, which just makes the problem worse.  This has been going for the last 6 months that I’ve been dating again and it’s really getting me down.  Please help!

Disillusioned,

Hallam, VIC

Dear Disillusioned,

I say go ahead, tell the ladies exactly what you do. As the Prophet Wayne put it so profoundly, “I say hurl. If you blow chunks and she comes back, she’s yours. If you spew and she bolts, then it was never meant to be.” I’m using this to say, any girl who runs coz of what you do, isn’t gonna be the kind of gal you can hang around on the couch teaching how to play your favourite video game, is she? And obviously, with the amount of time you spend researching games, sounds like you’re gonna need a chick who’s at least sympathetic to the cause. Another gamer geek, perhaps? Also, be confidant when you tell people what you do. If you love your job, a girl is much more inclined to know why it fascinates you so much. Within reason obviously. Don’t harp on about how awesome your guild is, instead ask her round for a afternoon of some Playstation. Don’t get competitive andmake it a fun and pick games she’s gonna enjoy, rather than crap you’re gonna need to take ten years to explain. Then she’ll realise how awesome your job is and how lucky you are to get to do what you love.  Or, she’s the kind who just won’t dig it at all. And well, how would you spend your time then if you had a girlfriend who bitched at you every time you picked up a console controller? Miserably right? I’m sure there’s plenty of girls who are would be thrilled to find out you’re a writer of any kind, especially those girls sympathetic to gaming geeks, who’ll find you a total catch!! Good luck!